The Bookery concentrates on setting up well-equipped libraries in South African public schools. Literacy and numeracy are the first steps towards social and economic change for both individuals and communities anywhere in the world. Despite this, South Africa has a dramatic school library shortage. Currently over 90% of public schools in South Africa do not have functional libraries. The Bookery sets up and supports functional school libraries across the country towards ending this shortage. Each library established by The Bookery contains a minimum of three books per learner per school, and caters for the needs and interests of its readership through a comprehensive selection of fiction, non-fiction and reference works. To ensure sustainability, each school has an existing library space and a member of staff committed to fulfilling the role of a librarian.